1963 Mississippi House of Representatives special election in Lauderdale County

After the first round, Democratic candidates Beard, Downey, and Frasier were eliminated, with McAllister and Goldman advancing to the runoff. The three former candidates collectively endorsed second-place Democratic candidate Dennis Goldman, stating "in the interest of unity and harmony in our city and state, we the undersigned candidates, do hereby endorse our fellow Democrat, Dennis Goldman for representative inside the city, and hereby urge all our supporters to work and vote for Goldman."^[7] While campaigning, McAllister branded himself as a "Goldwater Republican".^[6]

Immediately after the runoff, Bidwell Adam, former lieutenant governor and chair of the state Democratic Party, attributed McAllister's election to the Kennedy family, as part of an effort to destroy the Mississippi Democratic Party, stating "no one contributed more to the defeat of Mr. Goldman than did Mr. Robert Kennedy."^[8] Adam claimed that the Kennedy administration had "followed the pattern at Oxford Miss., that was set by Mr. Eisenhower in Little Rock," and the "national administration in Washington is determined to destroy the State Democratic organization and the last vestiges of states' rights."^[8]

Chairman of the state Republican Party, Wirt Yerger, stated that "highly qualified and capable candidates who are opposed to the Kennedy and the Democratic party can win elections as full-fledged Republicans."^[8] On his election, Lewis McAllister claimed "this is an indication of a trend towards a two-party state and a two-party South." McAllister was the first Republican in forty-three years to win election to the state house. The last to do so was former governor of Nebraska George L. Sheldon from Washington County, who served from 1920 to 1924. At the time of McAllister's election, the only other Republican holding public office in Mississippi was Joe Sams Jr., the attorney of Lowndes County.^[1] McAllister was sworn in on February 25, 1963.^[9]